Health Organizing Fellow

Faith in Action Kern County (FIA) is seeking a Health Organizing Fellow with a passion for justice and for supporting grassroots leaders in building equitable, strong communities in a dynamic multi-cultural organization. FIA places a high priority on personal learning, relationship building, and creating a strong multi-ethnic, multi-faith, and multilingual organization. The open position is full-time, fast paced, with night and weekend work.

FIA is a 501(c)3 faith-based community-organizing project committed to developing and sustaining a regional grassroots leadership network of urban and rural congregation-based community organizations in Kern County. FIA's mission is to identify, develop, and organize grassroots leaders who want to help themselves and act together to improve health, employment, education, housing, and safety in their communities. We believe more people of faith must join the discussion and take action to address community concerns, issues, and challenges in order to lift up a unique perspective grounded in our faith values of hope, compassion, and change. FIA is a member of the PICO National Network.

The purpose of this position is to lead Faith in Action's local Health Enrollment Campaign in Kern County. The Health Organizer Fellow will:

1. Identify congregations to host enrollment events

• Work with local Health Enrollment Campaign staff to create a list of potential church and other institutional partners (schools, etc.) to host events.
• Meet with clergy to educate them about the program and the benefit it brings to their community.
• Work with clergy to identify a point person in each congregation that will help coordinate and publicize the event in the congregation.

2. Calendar, plan, and coordinate all congregation-based enrollment events

• Work with local leadership team and clergy appointed lead to calendar events.
• Reserve church hall (or other large space) for event and work to ensure needed technology is available (internet connection, laptop, scanner, etc).
• Work with local leadership team to assist with registration, pre-screening activities, and issue identification as needed.

3. Build strong relationships with local enrollment partners to help staff your events

• Meet with county staff, clinics, or other local enrollment entities to educate them about the opportunity to partner with large faith congregations.
• Develop clear roles and expectations for partnership.

4. Manage a database of all contacted and enrolled individuals. Follow up with individuals to help them complete and submit their applications in a timely manner.

• Work with PICO California staff to maintain and update local database.
• Track and report total number of: sign-ups for enrollment event, attendees at enrollment event, applications initiated, applications completed, and referrals given for every event.
• Provide 45-day follow-up with every application initiated and update status of application (approved, denied, pending, etc.) in database.
• As much as possible, work to ensure every applicant is supported in completing and submitting all documents for their application.

5. Build a team of grassroots leaders prepared to identify and address local barriers to enrollment

• Oversee base building activities to identify and train leaders, clergy and local staff in this effort.
• Conduct regular one-to-one visits with applicants to identify barriers to enrollment.
• Work with local organizing staff to provide training on community organizing.

6. Participate in PICO California trainings as required (at least one full-day training).

Candidate Requirements:

The ideal candidate will have a bachelor's degree or advanced education and three years professional experience in community organizing, policy, advocacy, neighborhood outreach, or religious work. Final candidates will be asked to participate in and successfully complete a series of one-to-one interviews with members of FIA staff and leadership. Other requirements include:

• Spanish/English bilingual (required)
• Strong analytical, writing, and public speaking skills
• Ability to work with diverse religious, racial, and ethnic communities
• Desire to learn and openness to challenge
• Strategic thinking skills—the ability to figure out how to exponentially advance the work
• Ability to run multiple projects and pieces of work at the same time, problem-solve along the way, and keep everything moving forward.
• Experience/comfort working with clergy and people of faith around social change issues

Salary: Position offers full time, competitive pay depending upon experience with good benefits.